Chez Denise

Chez Denise is a Quebec comedy television series that originally ran on Television Radio-Canada from February 4, 1979 and May 30, 1982.

Synopsis

Denise owns a restaurant where the employees have crazy adventures.

Themes

Chez Denise was the first television show in Quebec to have a black character, played by Normand Brathwaite. According to the le Huffington Post Québec, certain scenes are a dubious "copy of American blackface", going so far as to have Brathwaite perform Al Jolson's "Swanee" in blackface in an episode. The series is also the first in Quebec television to have a gay character and to try and change minds on the subject of homosexuality. Christian Lalancette, a caricatural hairdresser, has become one of the most memorable characters of the series, despite the fact that the character was only supposed to appear once. Despite fears at the time about homophobic reactions to the character, Montmorency's character was celebrated for his biting wit and his colorful presence.